![Equestrian images Photography critique for Lisa Hi Christian I’ve been watching your videos for a couple of months now and have learned so much I am very grateful and look […]](https://academy-of-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/horses-photos-equestrian-2-450x190.jpg "equestrian photography – horses pic")
Equestrian images
Photography critique for Lisa
Hi Christian
I’ve been watching your videos for a couple of months now and have learned so much I am very grateful and look forward to the next one. I decided to take up photography 6 months ago when i was at a wedding and the photographer didn’t know what he was doing so i ended up arranging all the guest for him and setting up somewhere to take the pictures. that same day when i got home i ordered a camera but because of my lack of experience i didn’t know what camera to orderwith not a lot of money so in the end i bought a nikon d3200 which i am pretty pleased with and it does the job all though i do find in low light situations it struggles a little due to the sensor i’m guessing. i like to take time planning my next shot instead of just taking pictures of anything and everything I also don’t have a lot of time as i work full time too but my goal is to be doing more photography rather than driving wagons in the next 2 years.
I’ve attached 3 pictures that i would like you to take a look at I am a horsey person so all 3 images are of horses i think I might have marked them higher than what others might but i’m not a judge and still learning and would love to hear the feedback you or your judges would have for me and what i could have done to make the pictures better.
the first image i took last sept not long after i got my camera i would give a 7 for content as it is easy to see that the picture is about the horse. 7 for composition as i think it is a beautiful image of a bond between horse and owner as she hasn’t got hold of the lead rope yet it doesn’t run off. and i would give it 7 for image quality as although it is a good image it is not as sharp as i would have like it i find that my hands shake slightly whilst taking a picture.
image 2 – i would give 7 for content as it is clear what the focus is 6 for composition as the story is about the horse and riders moment in motion but unless your a horsey person you wouldn’t know what move it is trying to achieve hence the reason for a 6 not 7 and 7 for quality all though it shows it is a cold windy day i would have liked a bit more sharpness
and image 3 i would give 6 for all 3 as the content isn’t clear due to the rider leaning forward with her face down you can’t really tell what she is doing i think if i had got her with her face slightly higher as she was smiling and very happy with the horses performance then i would have given it 7
Look forward to hearing from you
Thanks Lisa………….
Lisa
thank you for submission. I am happy you used our system as that proves that you thought about it and not just picked images at random and sent them to us. It does happen. let”s have alook
Image 1 – girl and horse
Content 8 out of 10
I think you have made a confusion between the content and composition. I believe the subject is the attachment and love between the girl and the horse and that is beautiful portrayed.
Composition 6 out of 10
I think this is a well defined composition, and the head of the horse is central and there is a good balance around it. that contradicts a little bit the content as the girl definitely is part of the image…but too much thinking is not good. I rated this because I had to, but the image does not bother me at all..on the contrary , I like it even if it does not follow the classic composition rules.
Image quality 7 out of 10
the black and white with the green tint looks OK, but can be better with a bot more contrast…
Final TRS mark 7 out of 10
I believe this is a good image, and it can be better…
Girl riding
Content 6 out of 10
The content rating is not for identifying the subject…which is clear in most of the cases, but it is a measure how interesting is your story. A girl riding a horse is not something I have not seen before. The previous image is more interesting as it brings emotion. This image is a snap during training. I cannot relate to it as I have nothing to do with horses, but your rating is as good as mine
Composition 7 out of 10
symmetry and nothing else. simple and effective.This is not an image asking for symmetry in my opinion, but there is nothing wrong with it. If you try to make it the rule of thirds and have them on one side?! …what do you think?
Image quality 6.5 out of 10
image is OK, raw, nothing spectacular. You need to take this to the next level and play with the image after you take them to make them stand out. anyone can take this picture.
Final TRS mark 6+ out of 10
image is Ok, nothing spectacular
Content 4.5 out of 10
Confusing image, we have got nothing but an unfinished image. This is an accident
Composition 4 out of 10
As this is an accident i cannot comment as there is no intention here
Image quality 6 out of 10
Like the one above, looks ok. anyone can take it
Final TRS mark 5- out of 10
Lisa
I can feel you passion for horses. I am happy you love photography and my suggestion is to practice as much as you can, until you believe that what you do is only you and nobody else can do it. You need to stand out, see things your own way and express that. Ask yourself how is your image better than others, can others take it?
let me know your thoughts
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Photography critique for Lisa
Lisa
Thank you for submission today I will provide some personal feedback on your Equestrian images.
Image 1 – girl and horse
Content 8 out of 10
Great content here a mix of horse and people and in the cooler B&W colour tone works well here, which makes a great portrait all round nice job.
Composition 6.5 out of 10
I like this composition its a great mix between horse and the girl in the image the horse seems very alert, I see a nice mix of both subjects with the horse being the main subject, the horses neck added to the symmetry.
Image quality 7 out of 10
Image quality is great I love the cooler tone green or blue tint? To the B&W maybe either way it is my favourite of the bunch
Final TRS mark 7.5 out of 10
Girl riding
Content 5 out of 10
General content here is a balance of action/ sport photography, though seeming like a action snap, I would have liked to see the horse and rider alot closer, there is a lot of background to the image which with a wide open setting of something around the f2.8 or f3.2 would of given a slight blur the background, however there is always room for improvement in us all.
Composition 6 out of 10
General composition is ok, I do see alot of horse images in the Uk I believe this image is pretty much the same as most horse riding types, it is a widely covered sport, and hard to obtain something new, but general composition is ok.
Image quality 6.5 out of 10
Quality is ok I would suggest moving on to post processing now this is where changes can be made to any image to make them stand out in a crowd, have a look around for lightroom or photoshop basic techniques they will assist you into the next level.
Final TRS mark 6 out of 10
Content 4.5 out of 10
Ok image nothing really stands out here unless just a snap shot to show friends what your doing etc.
Composition 4 out of 10
Nothing that readily stands out, I would focus on having a interesting look to a image it’s like asking the question if someone showed you this image what would be your first reaction generally, meaning how would you like your images to be put across to people.
Image quality 6 out of 10
Quality is fine however not the best compared to the first image, keep going keep taking pictures, you will soon get to grips with angles and subject matter, It all takes time never be in a rush to learn as much as you can as no one person knows everything, I still learn new ways all the time.
Final TRS mark 5- out of 10
Lisa
I can see you have a good solid subject matter to take images as these I would know move to the next level, post processing using either lightroom or photoshop, remembering this is a popular sporting activity, however you can make the images your own with different styling and techniques, I would like to see more images in due course. Keep going.
Best wishes
Simon
Title: Girl and Horse
Content: 7(10)
You can see there is some emotion within the picture and not just a snapshot.
Composition: 6(10)
Composed fairly well. The things that are distracting me are the bright areas at the top (not a real big issue) and where the horse is cutting off part of the females face. I might have tried to zoon out for a few shots also to get a better composition if possible. The more I view the photograph the fact part of the females face is cut off bugs me the most. Bright areas at the top become less of an issue seems like.
Image Quality: 7.5(10)
I believe the image is well balanced in terms of exposure and tonal control. I would like to see a little bit more contrast/detail in the horse to just make it pop a bit, especially with the eye.
TRS Score: 6.8(10)
Comments
Lisa,
Thank you for the submission. With just a few small things I believe this would be a really good photograph. It’s just a matter of shooting plenty of shots and experimenting with your ISO, Aperture, post processing, etc…. Do you shoot in RAW mode exclusively or let the camera process your photographs?
Kevin Hays
:: My Website ::
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Title: Girl Riding
Content: 5(10)
The girl riding seems like any other picture out there. The problem is anyone can take this photograph. Not saying you shouldn’t find the subject interesting, but it doesn’t stand out in terms of content from everyone else.
Composition: 5(10)
I would either zoom in or zoom out for a better composition. It’s not bad, but it can be improved.
Image Quality: 5(10)
Image is average. There isn’t anything that is striking me as the “wow” factor here.
TRS Score: 5(10)
Comments
Lisa,
Thank you for the submission. There needs to be more work done with this photograph to take it to the next level. I would have deleted this one from my shoot, but I would have plenty more shots with different focal distances and angles to choose from also. When starting out in photography it’s important to take plenty of shots. Try different angles, different focal ranges, etc….
Kevin Hays
:: My Website ::
:: My Facebook ::
Equestrian images by Lisa
Image Title : Girl and Horse
Author : Lisa
Photo Critique by : Mr Robert Chircop.
Content: TRS mark 7/10
As titled, this image depicts a horse in a halter and a young woman. The image clearly shows that there is a mutual bond, an acquaintance between human and animal. This is evocative.
The horse’s perked ears also indicate that it is interested in something, very probably the photographer. Not showing the white in the horse’s eyes denotes that the horse is calm and this is radiated to any viewer, even if not him or herself too keen about horses.
Composition: TRS mark 7.5/10
The horse’s head is well proportioned and I find the point of view appealing since the animal, looking as it is directly to the lens, connects with the viewer.
I generally like the compositional elements and framing here although there may be some room for progress.
The animal’s head and the woman’s face seem to visually compete for attention, even though the ‘emotion’ radiates through. I find the partially covered girl’s face somewhat uninviting, also because it distracts the horse’s head profile.
Rather subjectively, I think that the hand clasped around the animal’s lead rope would ‘anchor’ the image more, but this boils down to personal taste.
Overall, this image is nice and has a visually pleasing sense of balance. Well done.
Image quality: TRS mark 6.5/10
The image lacks sharpness and quality but this may also be due to conversion. Your chosen high ISO of 1100 may introduce grain to the image. Try to shoot at the lowest ISO possible as this will enhance image quality by reducing noise. If this is the case, try avoid using ‘AutoISO’ so that you take more control over your images. You might have set a slower shutter speed [e.g. 1/200] as this would in turn enable you lower your ISO setting. This refers to the ‘exposure triangle’, a topic of vital importance to all of us using a dslr.
Even though lenses are not their sharpest at the edges of their focal length, I think that your chosen focal length, zoomed in at 200mm, produced a well-proportioned image.
It is evident that the focus is on the eyes and this is commendable. Exposure is adequate and ‘matrix’ metering in this case worked well. Experiment also with ‘centre-weighted’ metering especially when shooting portraits.
I find image portrait orientation very interesting and the monochrome treatment beautiful. You may try expanding your tonal range in post-production. Further, cloning away your blown out highlights in the sky would visually enhance this image. At this point, I need to mention that the bright patches in this image really seize viewers’ initial attention and this may be distracting. Try removing these and see if this improves your, otherwise beautiful, image.
I would appreciate any feedback.
If not already, I also strongly suggest shooting in RAW as this will give you much more control in post-production.
Lisa, this image is beautiful and pleasing. Please consider my critique as a means for possible improvement. You definitely show a good eye for photography. I consider this a good image. Keep it up!
Final TRS mark: 7 out of 10
Image Title : Girl riding
Author : Lisa
Photo Critique by : Mr Robert Chircop.
Content: TRS mark 4/10
A rider on horseback. I’m not particularly fond of the content here albeit from a beautiful horse. The horse’s legs are well positioned and this, I suspect, may have urged you to submit this image. You may let us know.
Generally however, the content lacks special appeal. I am aware that anyone fond of horses may find these comments questionable, but my critique is predominantly from a photographer’s viewpoint.
Composition: TRS mark 4/10
This is a snapshot anybody might shoot. The background is distracting and competes with the main subject. Observing the rule of thirds might have given the image more balance. Placing the horse and rider further to the left of the frame, for example, would have given you more ‘negative’ space for the horse to walk. This usually results in a more balanced image.
Image quality: TRS mark 4/10
Please see notes for the image above. Generally however, try to avoid poles/trees and other structures from ‘growing out’ of your subject. If this is not possible, consider removing them in post-processing.
Lisa, please don’t be at all discouraged by this rating. This image relates more to you as a horse lover, I’m sure. Looking back with a critical eye however, is conducive to taking better images.This is true to all of us!
Tip: When composing an image I like to trace the frame in the viewfinder and not only concentrate on the main subject. This helps me improve my composition ‘on the fly’ as I shoot.
Final TRS mark: 4 out of 10
Image Title : Girl riding [2]
Author : Lisa
Photo Critique by : Mr Robert Chircop.
Content: TRS mark 4/10
Rider dismounting/mounting a horse perhaps? No superlatives here.
Composition: TRS mark 4/10
Please consider the comments for the previous image. Try avoiding what is known as ‘bull’s eye’ photography where the subject is place dead centre in the image. Experiment with various camera angles and different point of views.
Referring to the hind legs, lining up one leg behind another creates unflattering optical illusions. In equine photography, this oversight refers to as ‘creating a two or three-legged horse’. In this case, try to have all four legs/hooves in full view.
Image quality: TRS mark 5/10
Also consider the above comments and do not hesitate to post any feedback.
Lisa, I much prefer your first image ‘Girl and Horse’. With practice and ‘study’ I’m sure that you will take your photography to the next level.
Final TRS mark: 4+ out of 10
As a horse lover, please allow me to share these images posted on my Flickr photo stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chirrob/9575412725/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/chirrob/9173502102/
Thank you.
Thanks for all your comments I am happy with all the feedback I know that all the pictures could be better but other than the first image I didn’t process the other images as I wanted to send them as they we’re took I normally use Lightroom or Photoshop it all depends how much needs to be altered. I’ll keep practicing as much as I can and try and get my pictures to stand out from others.
Thank you again.
Lisa